Today, we are not going to talk about tourista, or other traveler's diarrhea: they are caused by bacteria, and apart from some good behavior advice to avoid coming into contact with them (be careful with the water you drink, and in all its forms!), hygiene and dietary advice will not do anything.
Here, we will talk about more taboo subjects, and less discussed, because they are taken less seriously: digestive and transit problems during a trip.
What are they due to?
#1 - Dehydration
On vacation, we have fun, we move, we see the country, we do various activities... And at the same time, we forget to drink regularly. In addition, we are more inclined to consume alcohol, so dehydration is a must. The problem? When we are dehydrated, the entire detoxification process of the body is slowed down, which promotes the stagnation of toxins in our intestines, and intestinal transit is also significantly disrupted.
#2 - Changing eating habits
We are genetically predisposed to tolerate certain ways of eating better or worse. For example, most Asians cannot digest milk. When we travel, we discover new culinary cultures for which our stomachs are not necessarily prepared or equipped. It is therefore not abnormal to experience bloating, heaviness, and digestive pain after eating like a local in the country where we are for some time.
#3 - Overeating
To do this, you don't have to go far! On vacation, temptation is strong, whether it's about culinary desires, quantities, and/or alcohol. And yet, we want to treat ourselves, and that's perfectly normal. But the ones who suffer are the liver and stomach, which find themselves overworked and can cause those famous digestive problems.
#4 - An imbalance of the microbiota
While this may be due to an underlying problem, prior to the trip, research has shown that changes in environment, diet, and even within the biological clock have an impact on the composition of the microbiota, which, as we know, often leads to digestive disorders.
#5 - Stress
Traveling is a lot of joy, but also a lot of stress (well, for those who organize it)! Stress disrupts our digestive system in the short term, and over time, it changes the makeup of our intestinal microbiota, thus causing other digestive problems.
Sources:
[1] Gut microbiota for health. 2015. Jetlagged microbiota could contribute to obesity . ht tps://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/jetlagged-microbiota-could-contribute-to-obesity/
[2] Kampmann, C., Dicksved, J., Engstrand, L., & Rautelin, H. (2021). Changes to human faecal microbiota after international travel. Travel medicine and infectious disease , 44 , 102199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2021.102199
[3] Reilly, T., Waterhouse, J., Burke, LM, Alonso, JM, & International Association of Athletics Federations (2007). Nutrition for travel. Journal of sports sciences , 25 Suppl 1 , S125–S134. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410701607445
[4] Health Passport. 2016. Sick on vacation? It's no coincidence. https://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Actualites/Nouvelles/Fiche.aspx?doc=malade-vacances
